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Vikings dub McKinnon the 'Jet'

Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon carries the ball on Thursday during an organized team activity in Eden Prairie, Minn. The Vikings dubbed McKinnon the ‘Jet.’

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Jerick McKinnon was the last of Minnesota’s 10 draft picks to sign his rookie contract. That’s about the only race he wouldn’t win.

The Vikings selected McKinnon in the third round out of Georgia Southern, using a pick acquired from Seattle in the Percy Harvin trade the previous year. They targeted him for versatility, his vision and, of course, his speed.

“Too good of an athlete to pass up,” general manager Rick Spielman said. “Just too explosive of a player.”

McKinnon played a variety of places on the field for the Eagles, a perennial FCS power, frequently as an option-style quarterback. He also played cornerback and lined up as a slot receiver. The Vikings targeted McKinnon as a running back, hopeful the 5-foot-9, 210-pound prospect can be a productive alternative to Adrian Peterson.

“Honestly, I think I can do everything,” McKinnon said, ambitiously, not arrogantly. “But I guess the coaches have a vision of what they want from me, and whatever that role is I’m ready to embrace it and do the best that I can for the team.”

When Toby Gerhart, the dependable backup for the last four seasons, left as a free agent, the Vikings needed to find another ball carrier. Peterson is 29, approaching ancient status at his position. Plus, about every NFL offense worth its playbook has a change-of-pace runner who can slither through the line or catch passes on the perimeter.

Putting the ball in the hands of multiple-skills players has been a hallmark of offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who turned Darren Sproles into a rushing-receiving threat when he was coach for San Diego.

As the Vikings started minicamp Tuesday, their final series of organized practices before a five-week break prior to training camp, McKinnon was coming along nicely.

“What jumps out to me about him is he’s a quick learner,” running backs coach Kirby Wilson said. “He retains the information and then he’s able to come out and execute it out on the field. So that’s impressive for a young guy.”

Wilson’s scouting of McKinnon supported the fondness developed by Spielman, coach Mike Zimmer and Turner. McKinnon had 17 games of 100 yards rushing or more for Georgia Southern, finishing his career with 3,899 yards rushing and 42 touchdowns, and Wilson saw every single one of those on video.

“He stood out to me as a guy who’s very quick, had a nice burst into the line of scrimmage, had a very good acceleration in and out of his cuts,” Wilson said. “I thought he had a very good vision and instincts and change of direction, all of the things that indicate he could possibly be a good football player at this level.”

McKinnon took on the nickname “Jet” when a couple of Eagles teammates dubbed him so, for an obvious reason. His official 4.41-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL scouting combine was the second-fastest among all running backs.

Running the option in college has given him toughness between the tackles. Watching Peterson perform so far as a pro has provided him even more valuable experience.

“For a minute, it was unreal just to see him in practice and stuff like that,” McKinnon said. “But the more I get to talk to him and the more I feel him out and the more I get some tips, he really acts like a mentor toward me. So I just take what I can.”